April 21, 2008

Motorcycle safety

While driving south on Highway 71 recently I noticed the traffic-alert board read “Share the Road With Motorcycles.” This seemed strange to me. I had just witnessed one motorcyclist speed between two lines of stopped cars at a stoplight to shoot ahead of everyone. Before that, two motorcyclists missed our car by inches as they weaved in and out of moving traffic, traveling well over the speed limit.

This highway is becoming a playground for every idiot and hotdog on two wheels. I think “Caution: Motorcyclists at Play” would be a more appropriate message to display these days.

Comments

Let's seperate the facts, there are bikers and then there are wannabe Bikerz.

One rides and cruises, understanding the rules of the road.

The other is generally a pompus show off that thinks they are in Biker Boyz II and think everyone is impressed with their childish insecure behavior, endagering others. As for them speeding, Rogue will tell you it perfectly fine to drive as fast as one thinks they are entitle to drive, regardless of safety to others :P

The National Park Service at the Grand Canyon responds to queries as to why they don't fence off the rim everywhere so people won't fall off the edge: "Everyone has the right to kill themselves in a National Park". Ditto with motorcycles - everyone has the right to drive like an idiot and become an organ donor. I see dead motorcyclists here nearly every month, the vast majority of which were behaving as listed above by other writers. One biker road raged and jumped in front of a chick in a large pickup truck, and slammed on the brakes. Needless to say, she ran over him. Another guy near my house ate a guard rail at 130 mph the first day he owned the bike. I nearly creamed a guy head-on when he came flying around a blind mountain curve on my side of the road on a double yellow line. Accidents do happen to all sorts of drivers, but no sense in hurrying the process.

as streets get more and more crowded, and populations grow and traffic gets worse, be prepared for cities to make it completely LEGAL for motor cycles to drive between lanes, zipping through traffic, and doing everything that the letter writer is complaining of. It is already legal to do all this stuff in L.A.... In fact, if you are in traffic on the highway, you have to be careful putting your arms out the window on the highway, as your arm might get hit by a motorcycle

I agree with you Mike. There has been many times that a 500 lb. "croch rocket" cuts off my 6000 lb truck because they want to play on the streets. Then I read about how these idoits get injuried and the blame goes straight to the heavier vehicle.

Now I have no beef against responsible bikers (most are over 25) and well ride something other than a bike that can go over 130 mph.